On April 8, AGBU London hosted a special reception for Dr. Randall Rhodes, the provost of the American University of Armenia (AUA). The event brought together 80 leaders of Armenian organizations, friends of AGBU and alumni of AUA for Rhodes’s presentation entitled “AUA: Diaspora’s Best Investment in Armenia.”
He began by outlining AUA’s history from its founding in 1991 to its position today as the leading university in Armenia. He also discussed the administrative and academic structure of the institution; the organization of classes; the attraction of top faculty; and the growing student body both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Today there are over 3,000 alumni and counting. 80% of AUA graduates have remained in Armenia and 10% of students are from abroad, mostly Armenians from Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.
One of the activities Rhodes’s mentioned concerned the university’s role in the broader development of Armenia, such as addressing Armenian’s development priorities within the realm of education; helping small businesses with logistical and other support to create employment outside of Yerevan; working with environmental groups to spread awareness for Armenia’s future wellbeing, and much more. In closing, he emphasized the importance of the diaspora’s continued involvement with AUA to meet Armenia’s needs in the 21st century.
“AUA is a success story for all Armenians,” said AGBU London committee member Armine Afrikian, who spoke on behalf of the chapter. “It shows how Armenians can work together and lay the foundations for Armenian success. I am particularly proud that AGBU has been supportive of AUA from day one.”
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As one of the founding organizations of AUA, AGBU has been involved in the university since its establishment. AGBU has proven to be a champion for AUA through financial assistance in the launch of academic programs and scholarships, the establishment of the AGBU Papazian Library and the start of the AUA Extension-AGBU NKR Program to help reignite the workforce in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic through various training courses.
AUA is a private, independent university in Yerevan, Armenia established through a partnership with the government of Armenia, AGBU and the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement and promoting public service and democratic values.
For more information about AGBU London, please visit https://www.agbu.org.uk/.
Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of some 500,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org.